London Is Plunged Into Darkness Again In March - With A Big Difference This Year

By Laura Reynolds Last edited 10 months ago

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Laura Reynolds London Is Plunged Into Darkness Again In March - With A Big Difference This Year

The silhouette of the Houses of Parliament in the dark, with street and vehicle lights still on in the foreground — Image: Magnus D via creative commons

WWF's Earth Hour returns to London — and the whole planet — this March, plunging us temporarily into darkness.

You probably know the Earth Hour drill by now — it's been running since 2007 after all. Switch your lights off for an hour on a Saturday evening to show your dedication to caring for the planet.

Landmarks including the BT Tower, Harrods, the Royal Naval College, Tower Bridge, Southwark Cathedral, Mansion House, Barbican, the Gherkin, St Paul's and the Royal Opera House have taken part in previous years, making for an unusual view of the London skyline. Only non-essential lights are switched off, and street lights remain on for safety reasons. Check back on the Earth Hour website or with individual venues to find out what's going dark this year.

The front door of 10 Downing Street in near darkness. — 10 Downing Street during Earth Hour 2021. Image: U.K. Prime Minister under an Open Government Licence

The WWF is encouraging people to go one step further for Earth Hour 2023, and give 60 minutes of their time to doing something positive for the planet. Planting a tree, going litter picking, or cooking a sustainable meal during Earth Hour are among the suggestions.

The obvious flaw in that plan is that many of these things aren't easily done in the dark — well, not without a spade to the foot or a couple of nasty burns. We're promised more information on the Give an Hour for Earth section of the website closer to the time, which should be... enlightening.

Earth Hour 2023 takes place on Saturday 25 March at 8.30pm. And, because we like to be helpful, here's a reminder that the clocks go forward shortly afterwards, at 1am on Sunday 26 March.

Last Updated 20 February 2023

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